Miner&#39;s firing cable reel



Feb. 9, 1932. w. N. NICEWONGER MINERS FIRING CABLE REEL 2 Sheets-Sheet II'IIIIIII Filed Marc 6 1929 I gwmmto'c WNNioe wanyer Feb. 9, 1932. w. N. NIC EWONGER 1,344,673

MINERS FIRING CABLE REEL Filed Marqh 6, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WNNwa 14 011501" Patented Feb. 9, 1932 WILLIAM N. NICEWONGER, OF HEILWOOD, PENNSYLVANIA nmnns FIRING cABLn nEnL Application filed March 6,

This invention relates to the class of reels and pertains particularly to an improved type of reel primaril intended for use by miners for carrying s looting cable.

a The primary object of this invention is to provide a reel which can be quickly operated for the winding up or letting out of the shooting cable as necessary.

Another ob'ect of the invention is to pro- Vide a reel in which the smooth operation thereof Will be facilitated by the employment of auxiliary rollers adjacent and engaging the periphery of the reel whereby undue strain upon the main supporting shaft therefor is avoided, l a A v till another object of the invention to provide an improved type ofreel wherein the inner end of a cable carried thereby may be brought to theoutside of the reel and secured while the reel is in operation without danger of becoming twisted so that accessmay be had to the inner end of the cable when necessary.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration 'of the following detailed de scription taken in connection with the ac companying drawings forming a part of the present invention with the understanding, however, that the inventionis not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed or modified so long as suchchanges or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of-the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings t Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section through the reel embodying the present invention; i

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section of the reel taken. upon the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a detailed side elevational view of the reel end holding clamp;

Figure 4 is a detailed sectional view taken upon the line 44 of Figure 2.

Referring to thedrawings in detail wherein like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 1 indicates the base for the reel structure upon which are secured the side 1929. Serial No. 344,856.

walls or plates of the reel supporting frame, these plates being indicated by the numerals 2. As shown, the loweredges of the plates, which are preferably constructed of sheet steel, are turned outwardly to form the sup porting flanges 3 which are bolted or otherwise suitably secured to the base.

The side plates 2 of the reel frame are of polygonal design and each is turned inwardly atits upper edge to form the top flange 4, which flanges are connected by the cross or head plate 5. At each end of the head plate is an upstanding bracket 6 and between these brackets a bolt 7 extends upon which is supported a handle body 8. f The central portion of each side plate 2 is apertured and is reinforced about the aperture by a plate 9 which is bolted or welded to the plate 2 in the manner shown.

Extending through the apertured plates 2 7 and 9 is a tubular shaft 10 open at each end as shown and carrying upon one end a ratchet wheel 11 which is secured thereto and with which coacts a pawl 12 pivotally mounted upon the adjacent wall plate 2 for engagement with the teeth thereof, in the usual manner. This pawl is employed to secure the reel carried upon the shaft 10 as hereinafter described, in any desired position. This ratchet carrying end of the shaft 10 also has secured thereto a crank 13 by means of which the shaft may be rotated as described.

The shaft 10 has secured therein to project fronrthe outer face thereof a pin 14;. This pin positions in a suitable recess in the side 8.5 of a hub body 15 which hub is mounted upon the shaft 10as shown in FigureQ. One face of the hub 15, which is preferably constructed or formed of wood, is provided with the radially extending groove 16 which leads from the peripheral face to the bore through which the shaft 10 extends;

Secured to each face of the hub 15 upon the shaft and concentric therewith and with the hub -'is a circular side plate 17, the edge of which is turned outwardly as indicated at 18; Positioned against the outer face of each side plate and surrounding the hub is a reinforcing plate 19, which is held with the adjacent plate by the bolts 20 which extend 109 through the hub in the manner shown, each of these bolts engaging both of the plates 17 and 19. Extending across the frame between the side walls 2 thereof, are a number of shafts 21, each of which is surrounded by a sleeve 22 which extends through an elongated roller body 23, each end of each roller being fiared or bell-shaped as indicated at 24.

In the use of this reel the insulated firing cable which is indicated by the numeral 25 is wound about the hub portion 15 of the reel and the inner end is passed along the groove 16 to and through the aperture 26 formed in the wall of the shaft 10 and through the shaft out of the adjacent end thereof. Mounted upon this end of the shaft through which the inner end of the cable extends is a collar 27, which is held in place thereon by a suitable screw 28 and this collar has a bore 29 formed therein for the reception of the cable end, a suitable screw 30 being threaded in the body of the collar to extend into the bore and clamp the cable therein in the manner shown in Figure 2.

In order to hold the other end of the cable 25 when a suflicient amount thereof has been drawn off of the reel, there is mounted upon the frame, preferably upon the angled portion of one of the side members 2 thereof, a pair of clamping blocks 31 in the opposed faces of which are complementary grooves 32, for the reception of the cable, these blocks being secured together by a central set screw 33.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that the inner end of the firing cable which must be accessible after a certain amount thereof has been unreeled, for the connection of a battery thereto, is securely held and rotates with the reel and shaft in such manner that tangling or twisting thereof cannot take place. It will also be seen that with a reel of this character the side plates 17 of the reel proper will be held in such a manner that sagging or unusual friction of the shaft 10 in its supporting bearings will be prevented due to the engagement of the edges of the plate 17 with the friction rollers 23. Thus the cable may be rapidly unreeled from the reel or wound thereon, as desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A firing cable reel comprising a frame handle means mounted on the frame, said handle means comprising a pair of upstandi-ng brackets and a member disposed between the brackets and overlying the frame, a hollow shaft carried by the shaft, a reel body mounted upon the shaft to rotate therewith, said body including a hub having a passage therethrough for the extension of the inner end of a cable wound thereon to the interior of the shaft, means for securing said cable end to the shaft, and friction rollers carried by the frame and disposed about the reel body designed to be engaged by the periphery thereof.

2. A firing cable reel comprising a frame formed of a pair of side plates mounted upon a base and having a cross member connecting the plates, handle means upstanding from said cross member, said handle means comprising a pair of upstanding brackets and a member disposed between the brackets and overlying the frame, reinforcing means for the central portion of each side plate, said reinforcing means and side plates being formed to receive the ends of the shaft, a shaft extending transversely of the frame through the receiving means of the side plates, a reel mounted upon the shaft to rotate therewith, friction rollers extending across between the side plates of the frame and disposed about the reel for contact with the periphery thereof, and means for manually rotating the reel.

3. A firing cable reel comprising a frame formed of a pair of side plates mounted upon a base and having a cross member connecting the plates, handle means upstanding from said cross member, said handle means comprising a pairof upstanding brackets and a member disposed between the brackets and overlying the frame, reinforcing means for the central portion of each side plate, said reinforcing means and side plates being formed to receive the ends of the shaft, a shaft extending transversely of the frame through the receiving means of the side plates, a reel mounted upon the shaft to rotate therewith, friction rollers extending across between the side plates of the frame and disposed about the reel for contact with the periphery thereof, means for manually rotating the reel, and a pawl and ratchet mechanism controlling the rotation of said reel.

4. A firing cable reel comprising a frame formed of a pair of side plates mounted upon a base and having a cross member connecting the plates, handle means upstanding from said cross member, said handle means comprising a pair of upstanding brackets and a member disposed between the brackets and overlying the frame, reinforcing means for the central portion of each side plate, said reinforcing means and side plates being formed to receive the ends of the shaft, a shaft extending transversely of the frame through the receiving means of the side plates, a reel mounted upon the shaft to rotate therewith, friction rollers extending across between the side plates of the frame and dis posed about the reel for contact with the periphery thereof, means for manually rotating the reel, and clamping means carried by the fralme for securing a cable wound upon the rec In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

WILLIAM N. NIGEWONGER. 

